Urban Arcana: Tides of Shadow
by Enialis G. Dragonne
Summary: Worlds aren't meant to be broken. Shadow claims three real worlders and now they are traped in the Urban Arcana setting, is there any way out? R&R. Urban Arcana setting.
1. Tides Of Shadow

Part One: Tides of Shadow

That summer's eve started up normal enough. The sun was about to set, families were beginning to eat dinner, and it was starting to cool down. Strange thing was, there seemed to be an unnatural wind blowing, kinda like some kind of weird storm blowing in. Anyway, two friends were standing on the doorstep. One was shorter than the other and male. For the purposes of this story his name is Rayzer, he has short blonde hair, and almost always has a hooded sweatshirt on. The other is a wily female (aren't they all?) with brown hair cut short and swept over on to her left eye, and an almost all black wardrobe. Her name for this story is Umi. Rayzer felt a chill creep up his spine.

"Hey Umi, are you sure he really wants us up here this late? I have to get home soon," said Rayzer.

"Don't know. He said it was important," said Umi.

"Well lets go."

The unsuspecting pair of Rayzer and Umi entered the house and found a door that had the sign, "N.T.B.O.U.A.C. -- Not To Opened Under Any Circumstances."

"He's in there, isn't he?" said Rayzer.

"That idiot sure likes his privacy. Let's go," said Umi.

Umi grabbed the handle and swung open the door. Inside was the mysterious other boy's attic, a strange circle covered in runic letters and candles looked like something more than it appeared was going on. In a swift bit of darkness, a fluttering of a robe, came the other boy, Kane.

"If that's you Kailey, you'd better be blind or you're done like toast," said Kane.

"You're the blind one. It's Umi and Rayzer," replied Umi, with a rather sour look on her face.

"Umi? Oh sorry guys, bein' in total darkness with only some candle light tain't good for your eyes," said Kane, "Come on in."

Despite the horrid lighting, one could make out Kane's face under the hood. Blue eyes, blonde hair, that fell lazily over his right eye, sometimes touching his mouth, which had a sly curve to it at the moment. Rayzer and Umi walked into the attic, while Kane poked his head out the door and closed it quickly.

"I invited the two of you here for this soul reason: I have finally accessed a different world," said Kane, cleaning up his lazy speech for that moment.

"Have you been sniffing the Player's Handbook again, or have you finally lost it?" said Umi.

"As a matter of fact I have. A healthy dose of insanity inspired this little project. Also some research and contacts on said Kane.

"Look K, you seem to have lost it so we're just going to let ourselves out," said Rayzer.

"No one leaves till the ritual's over."

Kane sent an arm out from underneath his cloak and if showed some kind of strange deformity. His hand had become twisted from what it normally was, his fingers were longer, clawed and his hand showed large veins pulsing with each heart beat that traveled up his arm.

"Sorry that you had to see that. Eldritch experimentin' been gettin' the best of me as of late. But don't worry, just a localized infection," he said pulling his arm back in.

"I don't know what's worse, the arm or you used the word 'infection'," said Umi, still in disbelief.

"Oh no, s'not contagious, no, not at all. No idea how it happened though."

Kane started to mumble off into his own world when something happened in the circle. A small black void opened up and stabilized in the middle of the circle.

"Told ya somethin' would happen," said Kane, proud of his work.

"Whoa. What the hell is it?" said Rayzer.

"The spells I found called the material Shadow. Supposed to have somethin' to do with dimensional transportation or somethin'," said Kane, unconsciously waving the claw around. He realized his mistake and slid it back into the cloak.

"So what's this little bit going to do?" said Rayzer, squatting down near it.

"S'what's going to get us out of this borin' town," said Kane.

"You know that there are those of us that feel like staying here," said Umi.

Kane wandered over and put the arm near the fragment of Shadow. The fragment exploded and the shard went through the room. Suddenly everything was black, all they could feel was a cool breeze and the scent of rain.

END- Part One- Tides of Shadow.

------------------------------------------------

So this is my first Urban Arcana fiction. Leave the good ol' R&R's for my fiction from the guys who brought you D&D and d20 Modern. WoTC.


	2. Welcome To Your New Home

Part Two- Welcome to Your New Home

The scent of rain… It lingered in the air. There was a loud sound, like a massive amount of water hitting the ground.

"Sorry guys. Weak stomach y'know?" said Kane, wiping his mouth.

"At least you took care of it. So where are we?" said Rayzer.

It was a cloudy evening in the middle of the alley. Surrounded by two big brick walls, this didn't seem like the place that Kane had in mind.

"By the looks of it, we're in New York," said Umi.

"How did we end up in New- freaking- York?!" shouted Rayzer.

"Musta been the Shadow. Thought it woulda transported us to somewhere a bit more… Medieval," said Kane.

"Well if we're in New York then I guess we should go and call our folks. They have got to worried about us," said Umi.

The three followed the alley way to an open street. They didn't get a chance to look down it, as a feminine figure on a Ducati 998R. The racing bike had a web pattern across it and a red hourglass on the gas tank. The female kicked the stand out and walked toward Umi, Rayzer, and Kane in a leisurely sway. One could see her leather jacket, bright orange, shirt with red lettering, black low rider jeans, the edges of a thong poking out on her hips, and a large square of medical gauze on her left hip. The only visible part of her skin was her midriff, which had an oddly dusky tone to it. She took off her helmet and the trio got a good look at her face. The same dusky skin, pointed ears, shoulder length yellow hair with white roots poking out, and red eyes.

"Back off Drow! You're not gettin' your grubby hands on any of my friends!" shouted Kane, revealing his deformed arm.

"Whoa, hold on there new guy!" replied the girl. "I have no idea where you're from, but you seem to be a bit disoriented. Now put the arm away and let's talk like civilized beings."

Kane slipped his arm back into the cloak and stepped aside.

"So you three just got here right? You all reek of Shadow," she said holding her nose.

"Umm yeah. About that, who are you and what the hell is going on here?" said Umi in the most polite way possible.

"Me? Name's Maddie Webber. You guys must've gotten caught in some Shadow and ended up here. Almost every thing it comes in contact with does."

"Look Drow girl, Just because you seem nice doesn't mean you really are. I want information. And I want it now," said Kane.

"Look Cloaky, you had better back off, or you might end up with some serious lead in your chest cavity," replied Maddie.

"It looks like these two are going to be the best of friends," said Umi to Rayzer.

"Yeah. Let's break them up before one of them kills the other," said Rayzer.

"So Maddie, is there any way for us to get back to where we came from?" said Umi.

"No idea. I don't know a thing about Shadow except for that it stinks and it brings people to this world." said Maddie, shrugging her shoulders.

"You two can go with the Drow if ya want. I'm goin' ta find someone a bit more reliable, like an Aasimar." said Kane as he made his way out of the alley and into the crowd.

"What the hell is wrong with that kid?" said Maddie.

"We don't really know ourselves. He calls the both of us out of the blue one day and then we're here," said Rayzer.

"I say he's anti-social, that's what. Do you think that you two could wait here while I try and find him? Cloaky probably needs to come with you guys back to my mom's house."

"Yeah, we're fine right here."

Maddie got back to her bike and sped off in search of Kane. After five minutes she found him walking on the sidewalk, with a large bubble of personal space around him. Others seemed to avoid him like the plague.

"Hey Cloaky, you need to come with me! Your friends are waiting for you!" Maddie shouted through her helmet.

Kane's hood turned to face her and he continued on his way. Maddie dismounted her bike and followed him on the sidewalk.

"The farther away you go, the more likely it is that your friends are going to get hurt," said Maddie.

"They're competent. They don't need me. I've done enough to them already."

"Bit selfish aren't you?"

"I see it as independence. Your entire race is selfish, cruel, and evil."

"So you place the anger and frustration of your guilt onto others, eh?"

"Quit talkin' ta me Drow."

"Not until you go back to your friends."

The was a quick flutter of the cloak, Kane had his arm at Maddie's throat and she had the long barrel of an AMT Longside Hardballer .45 aimed at his.

"Mine's bigger," Maddie whispered in his ear.

"I don't care. I kill evil creatures like you everyday for breakfast."

They slipped their respective weapons back and Kane followed at a short distance behind he and her bike.

"You know Cloaky, we could ride my bike back to the alley," said Maddie.

"I prefer ta walk," said Kane.

"Fine then."

Fifteen minutes of tense silence later the two of them were back at the alley way where they had left Umi and Rayzer. They were still there, only with some uninvited guests. Several large people had them backed into the corner and were intimidating them. Maddie kicked her bike into action and scattered the assailants. They were large and hairy, with tiny dog like blue noses and triangular floppy ears on the sides of their heads. In other words, Bugbears.

They looked at Maddie with a rage. Wouldn't you if some one nearly ran you over in a bike? They started to gather around her when one eyes went glossy. There was a sick sound, like some one pulling knives out of a side of beef. He fell over and there was Kane, his warped arm covered in the Bugbear's blood. Maddie had the time to pull out her Hardballer and capped another one in the head. The other Bugbears ran off while Kane looked at the other two on the ground.

"Great, evidence," he said.

"Not really," said Maddie.

The Bugbears seemed to evaporate into a shadow-like smoke. Soon there was nothing left of them and the blood on Kane's had disappeared in a similar fashion.

"So the Shadow reclaims those it takes. Interestin'," said Kane.

"Yeah. So now that we're all together again, why don't we go back to my mom's house?" said Maddie.

Umi and Rayzer, still a bit dumbstruck, nodded in agreement.

They went out into the street and hailed a cab. Maddie Gave the driver directions to Terrace Plaza and told him that she wouldn't be far behind. There was a crack of thunder and it started to rain.

The taxi stopped at Terrace Plaza hotel and Maddie paid the driver. The others followed Maddie into the parking garage as she walked her bike inside. After much dawdling, they finally got into the elevator and took a ride to the eighteenth floor. Which happened to be the top and penthouse suite.

When the elevator stopped, Maddie pulled out a keycard and swiped it through the reader. The doors opened and there was the most angry looking Drow woman that the threesome has seen yet.

"Madeline Vérène Webber, where in ze world hav' you ben?" said the woman in a French accent.

"Uh hi Mamá. I found some displaced people," said Maddie, trying to change the subject.

Her mother gave her a look over with her serious and judging eyes.

"What iz this?" she said pointing at the gauze pad.

"We got into a bit of a fight with some Bugbears and I kinda got hurt," lied Maddie.

One deft movement of her mother's hand revealed that Maddie had gotten a black widow spider tattooed on her hip. Her mother's face went from angry, to pure hate. And she began shouting at her in French and Maddie responded the same. (Considering that my specialty lies in Spanish and English, and I have no idea what they would be saying, so if it appears in then its in French. Thank you.)

" You went against my specific orders that you weren't to get one of those awful tattoos Madeline. " said her mother.

" Mother, I'm a hundred and twenty, I should be able to do what I want by now. " argued Maddie.

" As long as you live with me, you are going to do what I say you stupid girl! "

Maddie's mother raised her hand high and the backside of it came right across Maddie's cheek.

Maddie's eyes started to fill up with angry tears as she ran of to her room. Ms. Webber turned to the other and put on a false smile.

"I apologize for my daughter's dizrezpectful behavior. Pleaz, come in." she said moving aside.

Umi and Rayzer had an angry look on their faces. Their friend had be treated horribly by her mother and they seem to have taken offense. Kane on the other hand, well there is no other hand. He had his face hidden in the hood of the cloak and he simply walked by Ms. Webber and went in the direction that Maddie went.

"My, my. Such a rude young man." she said. "Do you two want to come inzide or are you fine right zere?"

Begrudgingly, Umi and Rayzer walked inside and followed Ms. Webber into the parlor.

"Shouldn't we wait for Kane?" said Rayzer.

"You mean that rude boy? Very well. Wouldn't you like anyzing to drink?" replied Ms. Webber.

Meanwhile, Kane had found Maddie's room. He knocked on the door and heard angry sobs in French. Kane cleared his throat and replied, "It's… ahem, 'Cloaky'."

The door swung open and Maddie's hand grabbed Kane by the neck, and dragged him into the room.

Maddie's room was painted a toxic orange and off-white. Her furniture was stained maple and she had a black bedspread and a pile of stuffed animals in the corner. All Kane could see in Maddie's eyes were large tears. She wiped them away and looked at him.

"I though you didn't care about people like me?" she said.

"I honestly don't. What I care 'bout are the feelings that make us all human in a way. And your mother had no right to do what she did to you," said Kane.

"I know. She treats me like this everyday. Ever since she was captured by the Shadow, she has tried to keep the traditions from her old world alive. I don't really think there was a concept of motherly love there."

"Whatever world she came from had the typical traditions of the Drow. Males are the inferior ones, females rule, children there are abused, everyone grew up twisted and evil. You on the other hand, you seem different."

"I am. I have a heart. She ignored me. Always sent me away when I needed her most. I didn't have a father figure, so I basically grew up alone. It was just me and my stuffed animals."

"(Cough) s'okay people sometimes (Cough) need ta learn the difficult lessons the hard way, (Cough, cough)," hacked Kane.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, fine. Probably just gotta cold or somethin'. Nothin' to worry about."

"What's your story? You probably had some kind of reason to actually mutilate yourself so you could escape your reality."

"I have a bunch of little brothers and sister. Bein' the oldest, I was neglected in their favor. Parents never noticed me so I decided to actually see if I could break open the barrier on my reality."

"So I guess we're two of a kind?"

"Maybe. We might be together for quite a while."

"Why do you say that?"

"Cause once you cross the Shadow, there's no goin' back."

END- Part Two- Welcome To Your New Home.

-----------------------------------------

So Kane knows what happens when you cross the Shadow. And could he be developing some feelings for a certain Drow girl? And what's with his coughing? Is it really a cold? And are Umi and Rayzer about to be grilled in the worst way possible by Maddie's mom? Find out next chapter!


	3. Enter Department 7

Part Three- Enter Department 7

Rayzer and Umi sat in the uncomfortable silence of the parlor with Ms. Webber. She sat there sipping tea while the antique clock in the room ticked away.

"I might az well do with you as I hav done with some many other displaced," she said.

Ms. Webber sat the teacup down, and left the room, leaving Umi and Rayzer to ponder what was going to happen.

"What is wrong with that woman? She treats Maddie like crap and now she's goin to do a favor for us," said Umi.

"Let's hope it isn't something like what Kane's Underdark book had in it. Man that was unsettling." said Rayzer.

"Where do you think he went?"

"He probably went to go and make Maddie feel better."

"Didn't you see how those two fought? I bet he went to go and say, 'I told you so'."

Ms. Webber came back into the room. She set a small business card onto the table and slid it toward Umi and Rayzer. It had only an address and the name of a company: Department 7.

"These people will help you. Now retrieve ze rude boy and leave," said Ms. Webber in the most serious of tones.

"Yes ma'am," gulped Umi and Rayzer.

"Kane! We need to go, now!" shouted Umi.

Earlier in Maddie's bedroom, Kane and Maddie were talking further.

"Never been one for sports. My fast metabolism let me eat and be as lazy as I wanted," said Kane.

"Is that supposed to give me an idea at what's under that cloak of your's Kane?" replied Maddie.

"Since I started the ritual, this cloak and I have become… inseparable you might say."

"So it's attached to you? Like creepy symbiosis?"

Maddie started to poke the cloak and the arm made a quick appearance. He had grabbed her hand and placed it in her lap.

"No. It's just what it looks like. A cloak. Not attached or part of me. It just hides the one thing I can't bear to see anymore."

"What would that be?"

"Myself. Y'know how some people look in the mirror and see themselves, while others see only a distorted image? I've become used to that warped image. I hate what I see."

"What do you see then?"

"I see a sad boy tryin' to escape from the truth. Some one so afraid of real world consequences, that he decides to ruin his life and the lives of his friends as well by stranding them in a different world. That's what I see."

"So you're that bad? Try being me. The girl trying show people that nothings wrong with her life, one without a father and an abusive mother. Would you mind if I take a look under that hood?"

"If your so inclined. Might add a bit of reality to this pity party."

Maddie grabbed the back of his hood and pulled it back, his blonde hair fell onto his face covering his right eye. His other blue eye blinked, the room and home was kept at a low light but it was even bright for Kane.

"So this is the face of self hate?" said Maddie.

"Yes."

"You know, you look kind of cute for some one with a freaky arm."

"I don't know whether to take that as a compliment, or to get depressed."

"Well, if we continue on like this, something might happen."

"Something that might piss off your mom?"

"Maybe."

Then the call came. Umi had yelled his name and Kane heard it.

"Well, I guess I have to go," said Kane.

"My mother gave them the card. You know this means I'll never see you again, right?" said Maddie.

"What is this card?"

"It's a referral card to the Department 7 townhouse. She keeps the cards well hidden so that I can't go and see anyone else that I found."

"Why don't you sneak out? She has to be getting' deaf in her old age."

"I could. Will you wait for me in the parking garage?"

"I will. See you there."

Kane pulled out up his hood and left the room. He found Umi and Rayzer by the elevator and they had a questioning look on their faces.

"Where were you?" said Umi.

"On the balcony, looking mysterious, with my cloak fluttering in the breeze," said Kane

"I don't know what scares me more, the fact that I think it's completely made up or that I believe it," said Rayzer.

"It is, not let's get out of here and down to the parking garage," replied Kane.

"Why?" said Umi.

"We need to wait for a new friend. You know what, you guys go on ahead, I want to talk with Ms. Webber."

"Fine. Get your head chopped off," said Rayzer.

Rayzer and Umi rode the elevator down and Kane returned to Maddie's room. She had finished packing a backpack with all of her things and was topping it off with a stuffed spider toy.

"Kane? What are you doing back?" she questioned.

"I got a better idea. This one's goin' ta be fun," said Kane.

He got in close and whispered in to her ear. Maddie gave a sly smile and looked at Kane.

"That's down right evil. Let's do it," replied Maddie

"There's that inherently evil Drow nature surfacin'. I knew you had it some somewhere in ya," said Kane.

She locked her backpack and hung onto Kane's shoulders.

"Let's get going," she said.

"Right-o," he replied.

They walked out and came to the balcony, where Ms. Webber happened to be.

" Madeline, what are you doing with that rude boy? " she said in French.

" He and I are leaving this world mother. We're going home ," replied Maddie.

" And how do you propose you do that? There's now way back through the Shadow. "

" I didn't say we were going back alive. Good bye mother. Now Kane!"

Kane grabbed Maddie by her waist and leapt over the railing. Ms. Webber didn't do anything to stop them. No, she just sat there and smiled at them.

"Stupid girl," she muttered.

Cloak fluttering in the wind, Kane stuck the warped arm out.

"Ready for an abrupt stop?" he shouted through the rushing wind.

"Oui mon ami!" replied Maddie.

"Thrae Onureth! Spell of Feather Fall!"

The air around them seemed to stop rushing. They were falling slowly toward the ground and touched down softly.

"Whew! What a rush!" shouted Kane.

"No time for celebration, my mother's probably on her way down so she can see her foolish daughter's road pancake of a body," said Maddie.

They ran into the parking garage and found Rayzer and Umi.

"How the hell did you two get down here so quick?" said Rayzer.

"Not really a problem if you jump off the building," replied Kane.

"How did you guys…" started Umi.

"Feather Fall spell," said Maddie. "Let go before my bitch of a mother gets here. Kane and I will take my bike and we'll follow you to the town house."

Umi and Rayzer ran out and hailed a cab, as they took off, Maddie and Kane zoomed out on her racing bike, trialing the taxi.

The taxi stopped at the Department 7 townhouse as did Maddie and Kane on her bike. Maddie paid the taxi driver again and they entered the townhouse. The inside was painted a somehow welcoming white. The designers went for a minimalist look with the furniture, with black and white as the main color scheme. As they walked around, they found the living room and a small disk like object. The object turned on and there stood a foot tall, blue holographic woman in a three piece suit.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, I hope the rain didn't disturb you much," she said in a British accent. "My name is Ms. Fellowes. Welcome to Department 7."

------------------------------------------

And now the introduction of Ms. Fellowes and Dept 7 is completed. People who know the Urban Arcana setting have a good idea of what's going on right now and they might be able to guess what's going to happen next, even though I have a few curveballs up my sleeve.

Till next time, Oeuvre mon ami!


	4. Welcome Dreaming

Urban Arcana Part four: 

Welcome Dreaming

When we last left off, Umi, Kane, Rayzer, and Maddie were in the Department 7 townhouse, shortly after fleeing Maddie's mother. They had just received a call from Ms. Fellowes, their strange beneficiary.

"This place _is_ Department 7?" said Umi looking around the room.

"Not quite my dear, more like a place for you all to rest and recover from your more than likely strenuous journey. " corrected Ms. Fellowes. "If it's any consolation, I must congratulate you on getting some appropriate clothes, most people that come in here are still in full armor. Except your friend in the cloak, he seems to still be a bit disoriented."

"Most of us are actually," said Rayzer, with a small glare aimed in Kane's direction.

"Anyway, I find it quite rare to get children like yourselves. So you are permitted to stay here for as long as you need to, but only on one condition."

"And what might that be?" asked Kane.

"You are all to join Department 7 as agents to see to it that the worlds of the magical and mundane are kept in check. This might entail counter-terrorism, elimination of excessively violent Shadow creatures, and the occasional mediation between two parties."

"I think we can handle that, are you guys in?" said Maddie.

"Yeah, anything to get back home," said Umi.

"I agree," said Rayzer.

"Yeah guys me too…" said Kane meekly.

"Right then. There's no paperwork so be thankful. If I need something done, I'll be sure to depend on you."

The little hologram of Ms. Fellowes disappeared and left the foursome alone in the townhouse. Umi and Rayzer spent their time ogling the flat screen television and playing videogames, while Kane and Maddie were in another part of the house, specifically one of the bed rooms, talking.

"Those two don't know that they can get back home do they?" said Maddie.

"No. I don' want ta tell them. Just let em live in their little fantasy for now," replied Kane.

"They are so going to hate you when they find out you know?"

"I know. It's my fault for forcin' them come with me and they might as well hate me for anythin' I do at this point. I just hope anyone else didn't get caught in the blast."

"Relax Kane, they can adjust. They survived my mother didn't they?"

"Your mom's one thing, but they had families and lives back home. I just ended all that for them. I wouldn' be surprised if they hate me for the rest of their lives."

"You just love beating yourself up like this don't you?"

"It helps when there's someone that's willing to listen to me about things like this."

Maddie pulled Kane's hood off and looked at him. Then what happened next probably wouldn't shock anybody: They kissed. For a few quiet seconds, they sat on the bed, their lips locked together. Finally, they pulled back and looked at each other.

"Aren't you the cradle robber?" said Kane with a hint of loving sarcasm.

"What's a hundred and three years between friends?" replied Maddie. "Besides, you're my first kiss, let alone my first boyfriend."

"Ah, the overbearin' hag again. At least you're free from her, or until she calls Fellowes about this."

"Mother would never do anything like that, she's to proud to have some one else do her dirty work. I did have something close to a boyfriend fifty years ago, but Mother sent him packing, nearly out the window too."

"Consider this a strange repeat; not only did I go out the window, I took you with me. Now that's love right there."

"Wow, five a.m. already? The sun's going to be coming up soon."

"Fear not for I know the one spell the justifies stickin' your finger in an outlet. Ssifisv: Spell of Recharge."

Kane took his finger and plugged in to the nearby socket. Instead of shocking himself half way to hell, a faint blue glow surrounded him and Maddie heard him sigh a pleasant sigh.

"That's a lot better. Now I feel rested enough to take on the day," said Kane.

"Just give me a few hours, I bet Umi and Rayzer are asleep by now," said Maddie.

The snoring drifted in from the next room, and a loud explosion followed by the words, "YOU LOSE!"

"You win that bet my dear," said Kane. "I'm gonna go and get somethin' ta eat."

Kane left the room and went into the kitchen. Considering the fact that Drow are still elves, they only need four hours of 'sleep' in a meditative state. Maddie laid back on the bed and closed her eyes.

* * *

Hours later, Umi and Rayzer had woken from their impromptu slumber and found Kane sitting in the kitchen.

"Man K have you been awake all night? It's been like eight hours since we got here," said Umi.

"Oh? Sorry my concentration's been floatin' in and out. Recharge spell seem to be wearing off or somethin'," said Kane.

"You should actually get some rest. It was your faulty magic that got us here," said Rayzer.

"Don remind me. I'm gonna go and check on Maddie," said Kane.

Kane got up and left the kitchen while Umi and Rayzer readied a quick breakfast of cereal and milk.

"He's hiding something from us," Rayzer concluded.

"I know. He doesn't want to be in the room with us whenever we're around and he always has that hood of his up," said Umi.

"It's one thing to teleport us somewhere but it's another to just ignore us completely."

"We should give him a piece of our minds."

Rayzer and Umi left the kitchen and burst into the bed room where Maddie was meditating. She snapped out of it and looked at the two of them.

"What the hell's wrong with the both of you? You didn't have to go and kick the door down," said an extremely agitated Maddie.

"Where's Kane, Maddie?" said Umi.

"Yeah, we want to give him a piece of our minds," added Rayzer.

"He isn't in here. He told me that he was going into the kitchen while I relaxed."

"We have to go find him. Who else here knows magic like he does?"

"Relax," said Maddie. "He probably just went out for a breather. He's going to be back any minute now and you two are going to look like big fools after he does. "

* * *

Kane was indeed out wandering the streets. A sick feeling hovered around his heart, like it was trapped in some thick goo. He had lied to his friends about being able to go home and about the spell. He was awake and fine, but something else was bothering him, something a bit more material.

"Oh Kane, you are on a slippery slope," said a voice.

"What do you want? More of my soul?" he said quietly to the voice.

"Lying to your friends and abandoning them a second time, even after you found a girl that liked you. Besides, we need to finish our little chat that we were having."

The owner of the voice made its presence known. It was a mall creature and it hovered in the air without help from its tiny bat wings. It had a round, snarky face with horns that curled around it's head, green skin, and a long tail. It was a Quasit.

"My superiors wish to have you in once piece. It's not every millennia we have a human willing to do what you did."

"So I traded my mortal form for untold magical powers, big whoop. Said magics can banish you and your masters if I felt like it."

"You might be right; but as your new Familiar, I'm truly just here to make you feel as rotten as possible."

"And thus banishing you would take another part of my soul, albeit a tiny piece. As long as I still have a part that belongs to me, then I know I'm human."

"Not for long. As you continue on this slope, you're just going to turn into a half-fiend. The Abyssal lords would love to have a dealmaker on this plane."

"An inevitable fate I suppose. I just want to be able to send my friends home, where they can be happy."

"And what about that drow hottie that you've been kissin'?"

"Maddie's lived here her entire life. She can live without me, she would just be another life to screw up. Why won't you shut up and go away. People are thinking I'm crazy talkin' to nothing like this."

"I love it when humans can't detect my invisibility. Odd that you couldn't see me before though, I was hanging around your house since you made the deal."

"You little bastard, you better not have done anything to my siblings."

"That bunch of screaming kids couldn't see me. But that sister of yours, she could see me plain as day, even through my other forms."

"Oh no. Kailey must have seen the deal… does that mean she's here on this Plane?"

"For all I know. That Shadow stuff could do just about anything."

"As your master I command you, find any and all available information on my sister's whereabouts."

"Why? You said all your brothers and sisters were nothing but little attention whores."

"There's nothin' I wouldn't do for my twin sister."

* * *

Oh boy, more exposition. Kane seems to have a new goal in mind, one that doesn't involve his friends and Maddie. It seems that he's in for a long ride. Next chapter: Character interviews. Just that till I get everything in order here. 


	5. Interlude One

Urban Arcana- Interlude One: Cast of Urban Arcana

First on the chopping block, I mean list is Kane, the pretty much anti-hero of the story.

Question One: What is with the accent?

Kane: Well it could be the author's attempt at stylized language, or it could be the fact that I'm suppose ta be from somewhere in the American south. Not like Louisiana south, but more like somewhere long the coast. Kinda like somethin' you would hear from a southern gentleman.

Sub Question one: So you're a Southern boy, eh?

Kane: Yep, not one of those bloody bible thumpers though. Me and my sister grew up down there and just picked up the accent, y'know?

Question Two: Anti- Hero or not?

Kane: As seen in the previous chapter, I sold my mortal body to the Abyss for untold powers. Not a smart decision on my part, but it makes for good plot. By now, the readers might have put together the pieces and see me as the anti-hero.

Question Three: Maddie, why her?

Kane: She's got that tortured angst that I really like in a girl, human or otherwise. That girl is just so sweet, despite all that's happened to her. I really don't want ta think about how she's going react to my 'sudden disappearance'.

* * *

Next for the axe, I mean questioning is Maddie, the drow chica with the plan. 

Question One: What is it like living with your mother?

Maddie: Well she was never the mothering type. Every time we talked, it just ended up in the both of us yelling at each other in French. When ever we did get along, it was for brief stints. With my being an only child, it got lonely. So that's why I have my favorite stuffed toy, Mr. Eightleggs Pulls out a day-glo colored spider plushy. He was the only one that would listen to me.

Question Two: Creepy toys aside (please), you seem to have found somebody in Kane.

Maddie: Kane's nice. He's someone that I can identify with. If he ever gets his arm thing straightened out, then maybe he'll have the honor of marrying me. I can see it now, a nice little house in suburbia, somewhere nice and green away from the city, our daughter and son running around, going out to the movies, hot chocolate on cold winter nights. All the little things that make life worth living. That's what Kane is to me.

Sub Question Two: It seems you have every detail planned out. Real life isn't going to be like that you know.

Maddie: I know. Look what happened to it when he and the others arrived. I mean, I got to jump off a freaking balcony and not die. That's kinda what my dream for Kane and I. An easy to achieve dream for the both of us.

Question Three: What if any unexpected surprises were to upset this dream?

Maddie: What are you, the mafia? It's not like Kane got kidnapped when he went out for his walk, right? If he did, then I am so going to hunt down this author guy and force him to write a happily ever after story line.

* * *

Now it's Umi and Rayzer, the apparent minor characters. Fear not, they shall have theirs! 

Question One: Are mad at the author for being stuck in the back ground?

Umi: Yes I am. I might not the melodramatic Kane or the sob story that is Maddie, but I have a story as well. He had better do something about this or else he will end up with a boot where the sun don't shine.

Rayzer: Yeah Umi. We were the one's smart enough to see that there was something wrong with Kane. Even though Maddie and him have been spending an awful lot of time together.

Question Two: Yeah they have. Do you really believe Maddie about Kane going out for a walk?

Umi: Well she seems to have a point, we have been making him feel guilty lately.

Rayzer: I do. After everything she's done for us, she deserves the benefit of the doubt.

Question Three: Your names, are they the real deal or just nicknames?

Umi: Umi is just a nickname. After Kane showed me a Japanese translation site, it kinda stuck.

Rayzer: Mine's a nickname as well. It's just an internet handle that most people know me by.

* * *

So now you have an idea of the characters and their motives. Up next is Chapter Five: Time. Just how long will this last? 


End file.
